Combined printing and accounting device



Oct. 22, 1957 A. E. J. OWEN COMBINED PRINTING AND ACCOUNTING DEVICE Filed Oct. 26, 1955 i 34 L I 33 VA 3 [V1] liq 2O 0H 0% I l I l l l I w m m V 3 M 5 \G a w I 1 fiw Lw w m w y/w nited States Patent COMBINED PRINTING AND ACCOUNTING DEVICE Arthur E. J. Owen, Waban, Mass. 7

Application October 26, 1955, Serial No. 542,939 3 Claims. (Cl. 101-369) This invention relates to informational and identification devices bearing information useful in business transactions and operation, a particular example of which is a credit token of the type which carries information in form for being transferred therefrom by a suitable machine onto business forms.

One object of the present invention is to provide such a device which also is adapted to carry thereon accounting information in form for being taken therefrom by a suitable means, as a cash register adapted to sense information provided in coded form such as punched holes.

A further object is to provide such a device in which an element bearing information capable of being sensed is slidably mounted within a body member bearing information in the form of printing characters.

Yet another object is to provide in such a device such a slidable element which is durable, flexible, easily punched, and inexpensive.

A further object is to provide a device of the character described in which the slidable element thereof is gently latched in retracted position during normal carrying, but may be extended therefrom easily with a thumb by pushing the same slidably with respect to said body member.

Yet another object is to provide such a device in which the slidable element is automatically brought to a stop when extended sufficiently far for use, and before being removed completely from said body member.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view, showing the device with the slidable element in retracted position;

Fig. 2 is a similar view but showing the slidable element in extended position;

Fig. 3 is a partial section view taken at 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a partial sectional view taken at the same place with respect to the base member as Fig. 3, but with the slidable element retracted to its gently latched position; and

Fig. 5 is a partial sectional view taken at 5-5 of Fig. l.

Referring now to the drawings, which set forth a presently preferred embodiment, there is shown in Fig. l a body member having slidably mounted therein a slidable element 12. Embossed into the body member 10 are characters 14 capable of printing the embossed information onto business forms with a suitable business machine, e. g. a roller printing mechanism. Centrally of said body member 10 is a depressed portion 16 in which the slidable element 12 rests when fully retracted. Fully surrounding the depressed portion 16 is a relatively higher rim 18.

When retracted the following edge 20 of the slidable element abuts against one side 18a of said rim 18 to prevent further axial movement thereof. The leading edge 22 of the slidable element when it is retracted rests against the opposite side, or first transverse portion, 18b

Ice

of said rim 18. The slidable element 12 is also retained in said body member 10 by means of the retaining wings 24, which in the embodiment shown are integral with and bent over from the body member 10. Said retaining wings 24 hold said slidable element 12 for ready sliding movement with respect to the body member 10.

As the slidable element is moved from a fully retracted position as in Fig. l in the direction of extension, the leading edge 22 first rises upwardly to clear the rim 18b along the extension end of the body member 10, this movement being facilitated by the configuration of said rim, which is gently curved upwardly to guide said slidable element, as best shown in Fig. 5.

Centrally located in said rim 18b is an outwardly extending abutment 30. After the slidable element 12 has moved slightly toward extension the notch 32 in the end 22 thereof comes up against the abutment 30, but only very slightly, for a short distance near the bottom of the notch 32, and not over its entire thickness, as shown in Fig. 4. This acts as a gentle stop against further unintended movement, but may be easily overcome by slight pressure, so that the thumb may be moved without difficulty to slide the slidable element 12 on past this gentle stop position toward a fully extended position.

Toward the end 20 of the slidable element 12 a cut extending completely through said element 12 defines stop 34. In the preferred embodiment the cut is made so that in the direction of the following edge 20 the stop 34 is still integral with the slidable element 12 over the full width of the former. As the slidable element is extended, it continues to be moved up in a curving are over the rim 18b, but since it is formed of a material which is stiff as well as flexible (Mylar-paper laminate in the preferred embodiment, though any flexible material with good wearing qualities and susceptible to being punched cleanly may be used) the stop 34, being cut around the front and sides thereof so as to be free of the rest of the slidable element, except along the rear thereof, remains in a generally flat, uncurved position, as shown in Fig. 3, so that when the slidable element has been extended to the desired extent the stop 34 comes up against the abutment 30, to prevent further and undesired extension of the slidable element 12.

Through the slidable element, in the part thereof which is beyond the body member 10 when fully extended, may be punched information for sensing by suitable sensing means, such punched information in the drawings being shown at 40, 42, and 44.

Other embodiments within the scope of my invention and the appended claims, including the use of other plastic film-paper laminates, plastic films, or coated papers for the slidable element, will occur to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In an informational device of the character de scribed: a body member having a centrally depressed portion, a raised rim therearound, and a pair of retaining wings lying partially thereover, said rim being gently upwardly and outwardly curved over most of the width of a first transverse portion thereof and having also in said first transverse portion thereof a narrow upstanding abutment, said wings extending inwardly from longitudinal portions of said rim and being spaced from said first transverse portion of said rim, and a flexible element retractable to seat in said depressed portion and be re tained therein by said wings; said flexible element being outwardly slidable over said first transverse portion of said rim, said slidable element having in the leading edge thereof a notch in alignment with said abutment and having toward the following end thereof a slit extending therethrough to define a stop portion integral with said slidable element along the rear of said stop portion, whereby said slidable element may be partially extended over said gently curved rim and outwardly bentthereby before said notch engages said abutment, and said stop portion remains flat to engage said abutment and prevent further outward movement of said slidable element despite upward bending thereof over said first transverse portion of said rim on each side of said stop.

2. The device of claim 1 in which said abutment engages said notch over a fraction only of the thickness of said slidable element, whereby a gentle stop action is provided, which prevents accidental outward movement of the slidable element, and at the same time is easily overcome to allow easy intended outward movement.

3. The device of claim 1 in which said slidable element is a Mylar-paper laminate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,259,001 Dolcater Mar. 12, 1918 1,288,395 Duncan Dec. 17, 1918 1,912,437 Ducdale June 6, 1933 1,951,596 Creesy Mar. 20, 1934 2,258,624 Richter Oct. 14, 1941 2,515,124 Hilton 2 July 11, 1950 2,599,311 Anderson June 3, 1952 

